T-connection between two profiles, particularly cross-bar profile and post profile of a facade

ABSTRACT

A T-connection between two profiles, particularly a cross-bar profile and a post profile of a facade each having an inner chamber, comprises a U-shaped connector located in the inner chamber of one of the profiles, the connector having an end plate provided with a guiding opening and having two opposite edges and two plateshaped legs extending from the opposite edge of the end plate near inner surfaces of the one profile, and a flange bolt guided in the guiding opening of the connector in a non-rotatable manner and extending into the inner chamber of another one of the profiles through an opening in a wall of the other profile so as to be fixed relative to the latter. The flange pin has a portion extending outwardly beyond the end plate and provided with at least one arresting opening. The connector has a toggle lever-like bridge web extending between the plate-shaped legs and provided with a threaded opening. The connection further has a clamping screw extending through the threaded opening of the bridge web and having a head abutting against the end wall. The bridge web has a central web part and web parts which are connected with the legs and extend at an obtuse angle relative to the latter. The threaded opening for the clamping screw is provided in the central web part.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a T-connection between two profiles,particularly a cross-bar profile and a post profiles of a facade.

Connections of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. Ina known connection of the above profiles each having an inner chamber, aU-shaped connector is fixed in the inner chamber of the cross-barprofile at the end side facing the connecting joint. The connectorincludes an end plate provided with at least one guiding opening forspring-loaded flange bolt having a rectangular abutment plate, and twoplate-shaped legs extending from two opposite edges of the end platenear the associated inner surfaces of the cross-bar profile, wherein theflange bolt is guided in a non-rotatable manner in the connector bodyand extends through the connecting joint and an opening in the wall ofthe post profile into the inner chamber of the post profile so as to befixed relative to the post profile.

Such a T-connection is disclosed for example in the German documentDE-OS No. 3,419,294.8. Here the plate-shaped legs of the U-shapedconnector body are provided with an adhesive prior to the insertion intothe cross-bar profile, and the connector body after the insertion in anend side of the cross-bar profile is fixed by screws extending throughthe cross-bar profile, in addition to the glueing between the legs andthe inner side of the cross-bar profile.

The known connector body has two flange bolts which are spring-loaded,provided with a rectangular abutment plate, and guided in the connectorbody in a non-rotatable manner. The flange bolts during the connectionof the cross-bar profile with a post profile extend through an openinginto the inner chamber of the post profile and have a transverseopening. A pin is driven through the transverse opening from outsidethrough a mounting opening in the post profile for anchoring the flangebolts on the post profile.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide aT-connection of the above mentioned general type, which is designed sothat the T-connector both in the cross-bar profile and in the postprofile can be fixed in a simple manner, without screwing the connectorbody with the cross-bar profile and without anchoring the bolts to theflange bolts in the inner chamber of the post profile by a pin extendingfrom the outside of the post profile.

In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparenthereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, brieflystated, in that the flange pin in the region of its length extendingoutwardly beyond the end plate is provided with at least one holdingrecess, and a toggle lever-shaped bridge web is provided between twoplate-shaped legs, wherein the bridge web has a threaded opening for aclamping screw having a head abutting against the end wall, and thebridge web is composed of a central web part and two web parts connectedwith the legs and extending at an obtuse angle to the legs, while thethreaded opening for the clamping screw is arranged in the central webpart.

By the tensioning of the clamping screw, after the insertion of theconnector body in the end side of a cross-bar profile, the legs providedwith adhesive are pressed against the associated inner surfaces of thecross-bar profile so that during binding of the glue a reliableconnection between the plate-shaped legs of the connector body and thecross-bar profile is produced.

Since the front end of the flange bolt or flange bolts is provided withan holding recess, the flange bolt guided through an opening in theinner chamber of the post profile can receive a part of an opening wallin its holding recess. Thereby, a form-locking connection between theflange bolt and the post profile is produced.

A screw or a spring-loaded holding pin can be used as further connectingmeans between the cross-bar profile and the post profile. Thespring-loaded holding pin can be spring-biased into a holding recess ofthe post profile.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, theflange bolt is provided with two holding recesses which are spaced fromone another in the longitudinal direction and are offset relative to oneanother by an angular distance of 180°.

Still another feature of the present invention is that the abutmentplate of a flange bolt is guided between two walls, and the free lengthof the bolt extending outwardly beyond the end plate during the abutmentof the abutment plate against the abutment surface of the connector issmaller than the maximal guiding length of the wall.

During pressing of the flange bolt against the action of the spring theconnector body til the abutment plate is located outside of the walls,the flange bolt can be turned by 180° and released. Thereby the abutmentplate under the action of the spring is again moved in the region of theguiding walls til the front abutment. A second holding opening can beused for the form-locking connection of the bolt with the post profile.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing a cross-bar profile provided with a connectorand a post profile, in section with a sealing collar locatedtherebetween before the assembly of these parts;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the parts of FIG. 1 after the connection and insection;

FIG. 3 is a view showing a connection between the cross-bar profile andthe post profile without a sealing collar in the connecting region;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a section of a connector with a flange bolts inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view showing a section taken along the line V--V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view as seen in direction of arrow VI in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a further embodiment of a butt connectionbetween the cross-bar profile and the post profile in section; and

FIG. 8 is a view as seen in direction of the arrow VIII with a schematicshowing of the connector in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 connector 3 is fixed at an end side ofa cross-bar profile 1 in its inner chamber 2. The connector 3 has aconstruction which is shown in detail in FIGS. 4-6.

As shown in FIG. 4, the connector has a connector body which is U-shapedin a longitudinal cross-section and has an end plate 4 with twoplate-shaped legs 5 extending at its side edges. The plate-shaped legs 5have outwardly open recesses 6 for receiving an adhesive. The legs ofthe connector body are coated with adhesive prior to the insertion intothe inner chamber of cross-bar profile 1.

A toggle lever-shaped bridge web 7 extends between the plate shaped legs5 and formed of one-piece integrally with the latter. It has a centralweb part 8 and web parts 9 which extend from the central web part 8 tothe legs 5 at an obtuse angle.

The central web part 8 is provided with a threaded opening 10 for aclamping screw 11. The clamping screw 11 abuts with its head 12 againstthe end plate and more particularly against a bottom 13 of a groove 14which is provided in the end plate. The groove 14 extends over the wholeheight of the end plate 4. The bottom 13 is provided with a throughgoingopening 15 for the threaded shaft of the clamping screw 11. Duringpulling of the clamping screw, the bridge web 7 is deformed and spreadsthe plate-shaped legs 5 outwardly.

For supporting and simplifying the deformation of the bridge web duringpulling of the screw, channels 16 and 17 are provided at the transitionbetween the central web part 8 and the web parts 9 and at the transitionfrom the web parts 9 and the legs 5.

An angular strip 18 is arranged at the rear side of the central webpart. It has a strip part 19 which extends parallel to the central webpart. It limits the stroke of the clamping screw and thereby thespreading of the legs 5.

The bottom 13 is further provided with a through-going opening 20 for aflange bolt 21. The flange is formed by an abutment plate 22 having arectangular contour. The abutment plate is guided between two walls 23which extend from the bottom 13 of the groove in direction to the bridgeweb 7. The walls 23 form a guiding path with a length h₂, while thelength of the flange bolt part extending over the end plate when theabutment plate 22 abuts against the abutment surface of the connector ish₁. The value of h₁ must be smaller than the value of h₂ to enablenon-rotatable advancement of the flange bolt 21 until an end surface ofthe flange bolt lies flush with the end surface of the end plate 4.Non-rotatable advancement is possible only when the abutment plate 22 ofthe flange bolt 21 is guided between the walls 23. Therefore, the lengthof the guiding path of walls 22 should exceed the length of the free endof the flange bolt 21".

The flange bolt 21 is associated with a spring 24. The spring extendsthrough an opening 25 of the central web part 8 and is supported withits rear end against the strip part 19.

The front end of the flange bolt 21 is provided with two holdingrecesses 26 and 27 which extend in a longitudinal direction. The holdingrecesses are offset relative to one another at an angular distance of180°.

The front end surface of the flange bolt is provided with a slot 28 forinserting a screwdriver. With this screwdriver, the flange pin can bepressed against the action of the spring 24 into the interior of theconnector body, until the abutment plate 22 is located outside of thewalls 23 and the end surface of the flange bolt 21 is located insidewith respect to the end surface of the end plate 4. The flange pin canbe turned by 180° to bring the holding recess 26 to the lower positionfor using this holding recess then during the connection of thecross-bar profile with the post profile.

The holding recess 26 is utilized for the form-locking connection of theflange bolt 21 with a post profile 29 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and2. In this embodiment a sealing sleeve 30 is arranged in the connectingregion.

The front part of the flange pin is guided through an opening 31 intothe inner chamber 32 of the post profile for connecting both profiles,and then brought to the position which is shown in FIG. 2.

As long as a connection between the cross-bar profile 1 and the postprofile 29 must be performed without the sealing collar 30, the rearholding recess 27 of the flange bolt 21 is used. Such a connection isshown in FIG. 3.

For reliable connection between the cross-bar profile 2 and the postprofile 29, a screw 33 is provided between both profiles in the regionof the anchoring grooves 34 and 35 for the sealing profile.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of a butt connection between thecross-bar profile 36 and the post profile 37. In this connection aconnector 38 is provided with two flange bolts 39 located in one platenear one another. It has further a spring-loaded holding pin 40 which isspring-biased in an opening 41 of the post profile.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofconstructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in aT-connection between two profiles, for example a cross-bar profile and apost profile of a facade, it is not intended to be limited to thedetails shown, since various modifications and structural changes may bemade without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.
 1. A T-connection between twoprofiles, particularly a cross-bar profile and a post profile of afacade each having an inner chamber, the connection comprising aU-shaped connector located in said inner chamber of one of saidprofiles, said connector having an end plate provided with a guidingopening and having two opposite edges and two plate-shaped legsextending from said opposite edge of said end plate near inner surfacesof said one profile; a flange bolt guided in said guiding opening ofsaid connector in a non-rotatable manner and extending into said innerchamber of another one of said profiles through an opening in a wall ofthe other profile so as to be fixed relative to the latter, said flangebolt having a portion extending outwardly beyond said end plate andprovided with at least one holding recess, said connector having atoggle lever-like bridge web extending between said plate-shaped legsand provided with a threaded opening; and a clamping screw extendingthrough said threaded opening of said bridge web and having a headabutting against said end wall, said bridge web having a central webpart and web parts which are connected with said legs and extend at anobtuse angle relative to the latter, said threaded opening for saidclamping screw being provided in said central web part.
 2. AT-connection as defined in claim 1, wherein said flange bolt has twosuch holding recesses which are offset relative to one another in alongitudinal direction and arranged at an angular distance of 180°relative to one another.
 3. A T-connection as defined in claim 2,wherein said flange bolt has an abutment plate; and said connectorfurther comprising two walls guiding said abutment plate over a maximalguiding length h₂, said flange bolt having a free length h₁ whichextends beyond said end plate when said abutment plate abuts againstsaid connector and which is smaller than said maximum guiding length h₂.4. A T-connection as defined in claim 1, wherein said bridge web has arear side provided with an angular strip which has a strip partextending parallel to said central web part, said strip part limiting astroke of said clamping screw.
 5. A T-connection as defined in claim 4;and further comprising a spring which is associated with said flangebolt, said strip part forming an abutment surface for an end of saidspring.
 6. A T-connection as defined in claim 1, wherein said end platehas an outwardly open groove with a bottom, said bottom of said groovehaving a throughgoing opening for said flange bolt and a throughgoingopening for said clamping screw.
 7. A T-connection as defined in claim6, wherein said bottom of said groove has a rear side with a part whichforms an abutment surface for said abutment plate.
 8. A T-connection asdefined in claim 6; and further comprising two walls for guiding saidabutment plate of said flange bolt, said walls extending from a rearside of said bottom of said groove in direction of said bridge web.
 9. AT-connection as defined in claim 1; and further comprising another suchflange bolt, said flange bolt being arranged near one another; and aspring-loaded arresting pin engaging in an opening of a wall of saidother profile.
 10. A T-connection as defined in claim 9, wherein saidprofiles form a connecting joint, said wall of said other profile beinglocated adjacent to said joint, said spring-loaded holding pin extendingthrough said opening of said wall located adjacent to said joint.